SEU COE Doctorate

10/02/2026

🎓💙 CELEBRATING DR. LISA BERRY! 💙🎓

A doctorate represents years of learning, research, growth, and dedication, and today we are celebrating Dr. Lisa Berry as she reaches this incredible milestone! 🎉🎓

When reflecting on her doctoral journey, Dr. Berry shared that one of the greatest gifts was not found in a textbook or research study. It was found in the people who walked the journey alongside her. ❤️

💬 “One of the greatest gifts of the doctoral journey is the cohort you share it with. Build those relationships, celebrate one another, and lean on each other through the challenging seasons. The connections and friendships you make along the way can become just as meaningful as the degree itself.”

Dr. Berry’s dissertation, “Guided by Innovation: A Phenomenological Study of Virtual Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions of Generative Artificial Intelligence Integration,” explores the perspectives of virtual elementary teachers as they navigate the integration of generative artificial intelligence into education.

Today, we celebrate the degree, the research, and the accomplishment, but also the relationships and memories that made the journey meaningful.

Congratulations, Dr. Berry! We are so excited to celebrate this achievement and all that lies ahead! 🎓✨

10/01/2026

🎓✨ Congratulations, Dr. Amy Rutledge! ✨🎓

Please join us in celebrating Dr. Amy Rutledge on completing her doctorate! We are so proud of this incredible accomplishment and the dedication, perseverance, and hard work that brought her to this milestone. 👏🎉

Dr. Rutledge’s dissertation is titled “Effective Support Services for Black-African International Students.”

When asked to share a lesson learned from her doctoral journey, she shared:

💬 “Never give up. It's easy to let life's challenges become reasons to stop moving forward. Don't. Keep going. Keep writing. Keep researching. Keep learning. Do your best, and let God take care of the rest.”

What a beautiful reminder to keep moving forward, even when the journey gets difficult. 💙

Congratulations, Dr. Rutledge! We celebrate you and all that you have accomplished! 🎓✨

09/28/2026

🎓✨ Congratulations, Dr. Erin Smalley! ✨🎓

Please join us in celebrating Dr. Erin Smalley on completing her doctorate! We are incredibly proud of this remarkable achievement and the dedication, hard work, and perseverance she demonstrated throughout her doctoral journey. 👏🎉

Dr. Smalley’s dissertation, “Beyond Satisfaction: Predictors and Correlates of Marital Health,” reflects her passion for strengthening marriages and supporting healthy, thriving relationships.

Through her work in writing, speaking, and marriage and family ministry, including her connection with Focus on the Family, Erin has encouraged countless individuals and couples. Her doctoral work is another reflection of her commitment to learning, serving, and making a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

Dr. Smalley, we celebrate YOU and this incredible accomplishment! Your hard work and dedication have brought you to this well-deserved milestone, and we are excited to see how God continues to use your knowledge, experience, and passion in the lives of others. 💙

Congratulations, Dr. Smalley! 🎓👏✨

09/26/2026

🎓✨ CONGRATULATIONS, DR. KATHERINE RAMIREZ! ✨🎓

We are so excited to celebrate Dr. Katherine Ramirez and this incredible accomplishment! Her dissertation, Preparing General Education Teachers for Implementing Accommodations in Inclusive Classrooms, reflects her dedication to supporting teachers and creating more inclusive learning environments. 📚💙

Katherine leaves future doctoral students with these encouraging words of wisdom:

“Your dissertation is a fluid document and will be changed many times throughout the dissertation process. Be adaptable and follow the guidelines. You’ve come this far, you’ve got this!”

Katherine, you DID it! 🎉 Your hard work and perseverance brought you across the finish line, and we are so proud to celebrate this incredible achievement with you! Congratulations, Dr. Ramirez! 🎓✨

09/21/2026

📚✨ Now Hiring! ✨📚

Ridgeway Global Study Academy is looking for a passionate First Grade Teacher to join their team in Davenport, FL!

If you love helping young learners grow, discover, and thrive, they would love to hear from you! 🍎💙

09/21/2026

🎓🌟 Celebrating Dr. Dawn Kell! 🌟🎓

Please join us in celebrating Dawn Kell on the completion of her doctorate!

Her dissertation, “Retention Rates: A Qualitative Study Exploring Teachers' Perspectives of Teaching in Northeast Florida,” explores teachers’ perspectives and experiences related to retention in the education field.

Dawn, congratulations on this incredible accomplishment! We are excited to celebrate this milestone with you and look forward to seeing where this next chapter takes you. 🎓💙

09/20/2026

🎓✨ Congratulations, Dr. Rebekah Kogelschatz! ✨🎓

We are so proud of you and all you have accomplished! Your perseverance and dedication throughout this journey are truly inspiring. We are honored to celebrate this incredible achievement with you!

In her own words:

“One of the biggest things I learned through this process of finishing my doctoral degree was to simply to keep going. From my first doctoral class to defending my dissertation, there was a lot of life happening in between.

Balancing kids, a career, family, and all the other responsibilities that didn’t stop just because I was taking a class or writing a dissertation. There were definitely times when progress was slower than I wanted, but I kept moving forward. Thankfully, my husband and family were there to take over some responsibilities so I was able to do the work and make it to the finish line.”

Congratulations, Dr. Kogelschatz! 🎓💙 We celebrate you and all that God has ahead!

09/02/2026

Welcome Back to SEU!

08/24/2026